Usefulness of the SARC-F questionnaire and the measurement of the hand grip strength in predicting short-term mortality in older patients hospitalized for acute heart failure

AimTo determine the usefulness of the SARC-F questionnaire and the Hand grip strength test (HGS) in predicting short-term mortality among hospitalized older patients with acute HF.FindingsSARC-F, its components, and the HGS test were associated with 30-day post-discharge mortality in older patients with acute HF.MessageSARC-F and HGS can reliably predict short-term mortality in older patients with acute HF. PurposeSarcopenia is a potentially reversible syndrome that increases the risk of cardiogenic cachexia and adverse outcomes in older patients with heart failure (HF). Despite its clinical significance, sarcopenia remains underdiagnosed due to the complexities of comprehensive assessment in patients with acute HF. This study aimed to evaluate whether the SARC-F questionnaire, its inviduals components, and the handgrip strength test (HGS) can predict short-term prognostic risk in very old patients recently discharged after acute HF.MethodsWe consecutively enrolled patients aged 75 years or older hospitalized with acute HF in the Geriatrics Unit of a tertiary care hospital. All patients underwent physical examination, complete blood tests, point-of-care ultrasound, and a comprehensive geriatric assessment, including physical performance through SARC-F and HGS. The thirty-day post-discharge mortality rate was assessed by phone interview.ResultsOut of 184 patients hospitalized with acute HF who were enrolled in the study (mean [SD], 86.8 [5.9] years, 60.3% female), 47 died within 30 days after discharge. By multivariate logistic analysis, HGS (beta = - 0.73 +/- 0.03, p = 0.008) and SARC-F [adjusted OR = 1.18 (CI 95% 1.03-1.33), p = 0.003] resulted independently associated with mortality. Furthermore, two SARC-F sub-items, namely, limitation in rising from a chair and history of falls [aOR: 3.26 (CI95% 1.27-8.34), p = 0.008; aOR: 3.30 (CI 95% 1.28-8.49), p = 0.01; respectively] emerged as determinants of 30-days mortality.ConclusionSARC-F and HGS test independently predict 30-day post-discharge mortality in oldest-old patients hospitalized for acute HF.